Public speaking and expression are two fears some may have during high school. The annual Poetry Slam allows Pre-Ap students to project their personal expression through poems.
English teacher Katherine Cook has been performing an annual Poetry Slam for now five years and still counting. The Poetry Slam allows AP English 10 students express their struggles or what is meaningful to them.
This year’s English 10 class had the same opportunity to write their own poems then perform in the PAC.
“I was really proud of the students with how they did and I really enjoyed watching it,” student teacher Jordan Gray said. “I feel like there were a lot of powerful thoughts that they expressed, especially for the class never doing it before.”
Gray felt that the class put in a lot of thought and time, coming out with a strong finishing product.
“I thought they did a really good job for their first time. The poems performed were really exceptional for this age group,” Gray said.
The class also had to perform in front of a group of students and judges.
“I thought the experience was a great one,” freshman Jacob Bailey said. “I really enjoyed the performances and how the students expressed themselves. Overall, this was a really good experience.”
This is the fifth annual event performed at BHS.
“This year’s Slam was a great success with 17 performances and a highly receptive audience,” English teacher Katherine Cook said. “Allowing students to choose subjects that are important to them and to speak their minds with few restrictions is a wonderful way to determine issues at the hearts of our student body.”
This event let the AP English class express what they are passionate about.
“It was a good experience, but wasn’t quite what I was expecting,” sophomore Emily Linder said. “I really enjoyed hearing what issues everyone cared deeply about, especially having the chance to voice my own opinions.”